MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said Monday that the Jaguars earned their come-from-behind double-overtime victory over Florida Atlantic, the program’s first win as a Football Bowl Subdivision and Sun Belt Conference member, as the team turned its attention to a road game at league leader Louisiana-Monroe.
Jones was joined at his weekly press conference by defensive lineman Pat Moore, the Sun Belt’s special teams player of the week, and wide receiver Gabe Loper.
‘I Didn’t See Quit in Anybody’
Jones credited his players and staff and said the Jaguars also played well the previous week in a close loss at Arkansas State. “We’re getting better, and we came through in the fourth quarter like we needed to,” he said.
Jones said he told the team after the game that he saw no sign of quitting on the sideline when South Alabama trailed by 14 points. After the Jaguars scored to pull within seven, the defense forced a three-and-out, and the offense drove 85 yards for the tying touchdown.
“I told them that I don’t know if anybody deserves anything, but I felt like they deserved that win,” Jones said.
Loper Moves to Receiver
Jones explained the decision to move Loper from defensive back to receiver. He said Loper played receiver for most of his career before spending a couple of seasons at safety in junior college. With opponents playing press coverage against South Alabama, Jones said the staff wanted another receiver who could beat it. “He really pulled through for us,” Jones said.
Loper said the move was something he had pushed for and had joked about with coaches. “It was something that I wanted and something that I had the ability to do, I played receiver in high school,” he said. He called the FAU victory a morale builder and said it could be a pivotal point in the season.
Moore’s Two Blocked Kicks
Moore blocked two field goal attempts against FAU, which earned him the conference’s weekly special teams award. He said the blocks were not designed plays. “I just happened to be in the right position. I got my hands up and I made sure I could block it,” Moore said.
He said the players on the sideline urged each other on while trailing. “We said ‘We’re going to finish this. We want to make history for our team,'” Moore said.
Scouting Louisiana-Monroe
Jones said Louisiana-Monroe, which sits atop the conference standings, is the best team he has seen in the league. He said the Warhawks’ offense uses many empty-backfield, five-receiver sets, and that their defense takes chances with zero and man coverage and frequent blitzes, a combination not seen elsewhere in the Sun Belt.
Jones singled out quarterback Kolton Browning, calling him “football-savvy” with exceptional pocket presence and the strength to break tackles while keeping his eyes downfield. He called Browning the toughest quarterback South Alabama will face this season.
Jones said South Alabama’s offensive line and running backs must pick up the blitz, and that the Jaguars will need to complete passes as well as run the ball. He said the game is an opportunity for the team to measure itself against the top of the league.
Loper described Louisiana-Monroe as a Sun Belt powerhouse alongside Arkansas State, the defending conference champion. South Alabama plays at Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.
